Harry Potter's Final Year
by pottersgirl08
Summary: Harry has just returned to Privet Drive after his Sixth year. He is ready for anything now. He has seen so much. How little he knows, especially after his first conversation with Aunt Petunia, then Ron and Hermione....
1. The Last Summer

It was a cold, misty morning, and Harry was sitting on his bed at number 4 Privet Drive. He had gotten little sleep that night. He returned to the casements again and saw it all again; Dumbledore begging, Snape yelling, and the tumbling of Dumbledore's limp body over the cliff. He had awoken in a cold sweat, and didn't know what to think. It had been only a month since Dumbledore's death, and Harry did what Dumbledore had asked him to do; return to Privet Drive one last time. Since he had returned, his aunt and uncle had been leaving him alone, which was completely fine with Harry. He only had been seeing them at meal times, but that was only so he could get his food and retreat back to his room.

But today seemed different, when Harry awoke, he went out to the hall to go to the kitchen for a snack to help calm his nerves, but he wasn't the only one in the kitchen. Aunt Petunia was in there in her nightgown with something already made up for Harry. Harry was startled to see her, and literally jumped back when she spoke to him.

_Here Harry, take this. I can make some for myself, _Aunt Petunia said to him.

Harry was a little confused, but took it gratefully. He turned to go back up the stairs, but Aunt Petunia stopped him.

_Harry, er, do you mind if I ask you a question? I mean, it's ok if you don't want to answer it, but, I really need to know this._

Harry thought for a minute, quite perplexed, then decided to let her talk.

_Ok. Shoot. I'm listening._

Aunt Petunia seemed to sink just a little as she began this next sentence, but continued nonetheless.

_Harry, I need to know. Honestly, and wholly, what happened this year at, ahem, school?_

Harry was taken aback. For the past sixteen years while Harry had been in this house, he had never been asked this question, not by anyone. Most people strayed away from him, let alone ask him about his own life when he was away from Privet Drive.

_Well, _Harry began slowly,_ Umm…, wait, why do you want to know? You have never taken any interest in me since I've lived here, and now you want to know what's going on in _my _life?_ Harry's temper was still getting the best of him, but not as bad as it was. Also, he didn't really want to talk to anyone about what had happened. Not even Ron and Hermione.

_I… I… I just was instructed to ask. _Aunt Petunia tried to explain everything to him. She seemed to be having trouble. _He, you know, the man who came here last summer, Professor, er, Professor…_

_Dumbledore?_ choked Harry.

_Yes, him. He wrote to me in May. He told me that there was something important going on, and he said in his letter that I should ask you about this year. In his letter, it said something about me being able to help you with something. I don't see how, but I don't know. So, what really did happen this year at school?_

Harry thought about this explanation. He didn't know if he should tell her or not, but decided he should, mainly because Dumbledore told her to ask him, and because she might have something of importance to Harry.

_Well, I guess I should tell you. Not that it will really make a difference considering you don't know who any of the people involved are nor do you really care, I'm sure. But, since, ahem,_ Harry was still having issues with saying Dumbledore's name, _Dumbledore said that I should tell you, I guess it would probably be a good idea. Ok. What happened this year, summed up, was the worst year of my life, that I remember, _Harry suddenly remembered the night his parents died and the green flash of light. He continued on._ First, I got my nose broken because I had a major suspicion about this one person, then I got detention first thing. Also, I almost killed one person on accident. _Harry looked to his aunt, for she made a loud gasp at this. _Hey! I said it was on accident. I found this spell in a book of mine, and I said it and his chest was basically cut open. I didn't mean to! It was in my Potions book, and I just said it, I didn't know what it did. But I really didn't mean to. Also, my least favorite teacher, he, um, I really don't want to say. It's too hard…_Harry trailed off. Aunt Petunia looked at him.

_Well, take your time. I'm listening. Is it really that bad?_ Aunt Petunia was acting like she had never acted before. Harry was a little bemused by it, but grateful all the same. He was starting to feel better by talking about his year, and not only that, he enjoyed how Aunt Petunia was listening to him and not scoffing at him or turning away from him.

_Yes, Aunt Petunia, it really is that bad. I couldn't believe it when it really happened, but it happened! Professor Snape, well you don't know who he is, but he is my least favorite teacher. He hates me and always has. He could actually give Uncle Vernon a run for his money._ At this, Harry believed he would be reprimanded for that comment, but Aunt Petunia didn't say anything. She just stayed there, listening to him. _He… he… he killed, murdered Professor Dumbledore. In cold sweat, right there, without warning. Dumbledore was begging for something, but he was begging! Dumbledore, he just, left me. I don't know what to do. I… I'm scared and worried. _

Harry sat down on a chair and looked up at Aunt Petunia. Her expression was hard to read. He didn't know whether she was ready to console Harry, or laugh at his misery. Finally, she began to speak.

_So, you mean that the Headmaster of that school is dead? That a teacher murdered him? _

_Yes._

_So, does that mean I won't be getting any more exploding letters and you won't be called here anymore?_

_Yes._ Harry was beginning to get upset and annoyed by her stupidity with the fact that Dumbledore was dead.

_Well, I guess he was right about one thing. I can help you with a few things. _


	2. Aunt Petunia's Help

Harry sat there for a moment, just staring at Aunt Petunia. He didn't know what to say, or what to think. Apparently, Aunt Petunia understood this and continued talking.

"Yes, Harry, I said I can help you out. I know that you don't like me, but I believe that this is a desperate time, and I will let you know."

Harry began to speak. "It's not my fault that I don't like you. You brought it upon yourself. If you would have treated me like _Ickle Diddykins_, I don't think we would be having this problem like we have been. Also, it isn't my fault that your sister got a Hogwarts letter and you didn't. Besides, from what I can tell and what I've seen, you would never have done half of what my mother did for me, for Dudley. Would you have died for him and let him live? Would you allow yourself to always be on the list for a possible death? Honestly, would you?"

Aunt Petunia gaped at him. Harry stared at her, unable to understand why he just exploded at her. He started thinking he was just letting almost 17 years of anger out on her. However, Aunt Petunia answered him simply, and for the most part, honestly.

"Harry, listen to me. I know that we have not treated you equally." Harry scoffed. "Believe me; I understand what you are going through. Your mother was always my parent's favorite child. She never got reprimanded or in trouble, that was always me. I guess it is something that I do because it seems right to me. I don't really know. And to answer your question, I don't really know if I would die for Dudley. I believe I would, but I don't really know. It's a hard question to answer because I do not have to actually do it at this moment. I'm sure that if that option came up, I would, just like your mother did, but I don't actually think she knew what she would do or wouldn't."

Harry stood there, and decided to change the subject on her. "Ok, I see what you are saying, I guess. But, what can you help me with? If it will help me live or if it will help me to defeat Voldemort, let me know. This is very important, and not only that, it is my destiny. Voldemort is an evil wizard, who means to take over both the Wizarding World, and the Muggle World. Also, as soon as I'm seventeen, I have no protection from being here anymore, and you most likely won't have mine considering I will most likely not live here anymore after this year. So please, tell me."

"Ok Harry. I will," Aunt Petunia said. "In a letter I got before the last one from, Dumble... Dumble…"

"Dumbledore?"

"Yes, Dumbledore. Ahem. As I was saying, in my second to last letter, he had explained to me that something was going on in the school, and that you were learning about… oh dear, what was it? Umm, hor- something…"

"Horcruxes?"

"That was it, Horcruxes. But, let's continue and not worry if I can't remember what everything was called at the moment. He told me that you were learning about them, yet he didn't explain what they were. But that's not the point. He said that he had found three of them, and there are four more. He said that they are also most likely from the founders of your school. He said something about a snake as well in it…"

"Right, he told me all of this, on a trip we took to get one before he was, killed."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll go on then. He said that he believed one was a goblet from the Huff and Puff founder, and the other one that you would need to find was a sword. He didn't really explain the sword's origin, he said that you would know what it was. His letter said that he didn't know where the goblet was, but you could ask his portrait and it would help you. I don't see how, though. I mean, how can you ask a portrait?"

"Actually, Aunt Petunia, you can. You see, in my world, portraits and painting move, talk, and give advice; for the most part." Harry thought of Phineas Niggelus' portrait in Dumbledore's, or actually McGonagall's office.

"Really? That is quite fascinating. I think I would like to see one like that. But, that was what he told me. And that is all I know. I don't really know if you can understand that and if it helps, but he said it would. So, there is some good information for you."

"Thank you. Thank you very much Aunt Petunia. Also, if you want, I have a photo album of pictures that move. But, it has pictures of my world in it, and has some pictures of my mother and father."

"I see. I still think I would like to see it, and, to be completely honest, I think I would like to see a picture of Lily again."

"Ok. I'll be right back with the album." Harry rushed up to his room to get his album, all the while contemplating on what his aunt had just told him, and also trying to figure out what he was going to do about the goblet and sword.

Harry got up to his room, and Hedwig looked up at him with and questioning look on her face.

"It's ok Hedwig. Aunt Petunia is actually acting like she wants to help me."

At this, Hedwig cocked her head. Harry ignored the gesture, and dug around in his still mostly unpacked trunk for his album. He had added some pictures that Colin and others had taken of him, Hermione, and Ron. He found it finally, and took it back down to the kitchen.

Back in the kitchen, Aunt Petunia had taken a seat at the table with some tea and biscuits.

"Here it is. I found it."

"I see that."

"Well, this is a wizard's photo album. However, you can't talk to these, it's only the large portraits that do that."

Harry sat flipping through the book and showing his aunt all the pictures. He showed her Ron and Hermione through the ages. She laughed at some of the pictures, though, especially the more recent ones that were taken with Ron looking at Hermione awkwardly.

"Yea," said Harry, "they took fancy to each other in about our second year, and it took them a long time to admit it. I was in the middle of a lot of the fights for the most part. I don't really know what will happen if they break up and don't talk to each other again, or if they get sick of each other. In all honesty, I think it will be the end of them." Harry laughed and so did Aunt Petunia.

Harry turned the next page, and here were all the pictures of his family.

Harry spoke. "These are the ones of me and my family. We don't have to look at all of them if you don't want to. It's ok with me. I look at this book all the time. So, if you don't want to, just say so."

"No, Harry, I want to. It's ok. Really, it is. I want to see my sister again."

Harry sat there and kept flipping the pages. Every once and a while, Aunt Petunia would sigh. It was as though she missed her sister, which struck Harry as odd, considering she never really liked to admit that she had a sister.

"Well, that's all of them I guess. Do you see what we, and I mean Wizards, mean when we say moving portraits?"

"Yea, I do, and to be honest, I think that is amazing. I wish that we had some of those in our world, but I don't think it would be a good idea to have them up in our house. Who knows what people would think?"

"Good point. People would probably think they were seeing things, because in all honesty, how many people do you think would admit they saw pictures hanging on the wall move?"

"Probably not many," Aunt Petunia then let out a gasp. "Oh no, Harry go to your room, now. Vernon is up, and you know how he is. He's mostly the reason why we have never been kind to you, but he really is a good person, I don't really understand what he has against you. So, just go back to your room, and I suggest you don't mention this to him."

"Ok, I'll go," Harry set off back to his room, thinking intensely on his conversation, when Aunt Petunia spoke to him once more.

"Um, Harry, is there any possibility that you could forgive me for all of the things I have and haven't done for you over the years?"

Harry stared at her, and answered. "I think we on the road to a good recovery. I really do. We'll see where the rest of this takes us." With that, Harry turned and went back up the stairs.

He made it back to his room just before Uncle Vernon came out of his room. When he shut the door, he saw a large, brown tawny owl sitting at the foot of his bed. He walked over to it, and recognized the familiar parchment envelope with the large "H" stamped on it. He tore it open as fast as he could. It was from Professor McGonagall.

"Potter,

I realize that you said you were not going to return to school for your last year, but I feel I should indulge in you that it would probably be a good idea for you to return for at least a little while, seeing as how it is safe again now that the Vanishing Closet is now gone. Also, if you do return, I have enclosed a list of the things you will need. A few things have changed now, and I need you to know what it is. Not only that but in case you do decide to come back to school, please send us your owl A.S.A.P. so we can make sure that we get you in your classes. Thank you Potter, and I hope to see you again."

Harry re-read the letter to let it all sink in with what it said. Not only that, but Harry hadn't given much thought to going back to school, although he wondered if he should since he needed Godric Gryffindor's sword. He decided he would think on it and send Hedwig back when he decided.

It was late that night, and Harry finally decided what he was going to do; he would return to Hogwarts for the time he needed to get the Horcrux sword. Also, if he returned, he would be able to talk to Dumbledore, like Aunt Petunia had said. He needed to let Ron and Hermione know what he had to do, as well.

"I'll let that wait until tomorrow," Harry yawned to himself as he fell asleep. He didn't know what awaited him when he woke up.


End file.
